Certain invasive aquatic species grow so prodigiously that they pose threats to naturally occurring bodies of water, such as lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and stream, and to native aquatic plants and animals. In addition, people find such proliferation of invasive aquatic species to be unsightly and problematic to their own enjoyment of the water as they may prevent people from entering the water. Examples of some commonly found invasive aquatic plants include Eurasian Water milfoil, Curly-Leaf Pondweed, Fanwort, Hydrilla, and Phragmites. In order to effectively treat and prevent infestation of invasive aquatic species, it is critical to be able to accurately detect and map the locations of the species in various bodies of water. Common ways of treating invasive aquatic plant infestations involves the use of chemical applications in the water.
Currently, several techniques are used to identify and map the locations of invasive aquatic species. First, invasive aquatic plants are observed and detected at the water level using viewing scopes and GPS. If the water is too deep to allow plants to be observed directly, sampling rakes are used to bring plants up from the bottom of the water, particularly those plants that may be growing beneath dominant plants or boat launches. Another commonly used technique involves collecting data along transect lines laid out perpendicular to the shore using rake tosses in four directions at each transect point to detect any plants intersecting the transect lines that are then recorded. Specific algorithms are then used to interpolate the collected data. As such, this technique can be very time-consuming and inefficient.
Yet another commonly used technique for identifying and mapping the locations of invasive aquatic species involves the use of sonar through a BioBase™ sonar transducer. In this technique, data collected from bodies of water using these types of transducers needs to be interpolated using algorithms in order to estimate plant biomass. Due to difficulties calibrating sensors and user operation outside of manufacturer specifications, false positives of plant mass are typically found when the data is uploaded to and visualized by third party mapping features. In addition, the maximum angle of view on a BioBase™ sonar transducer depth finder is only 20 degrees, while the recommended transect distance provided by BioBase™ is 15 feet on lakes having less than 30 acres in surface area and 82 feet on lakes having greater than 30 acres in surface area. This presents limitations on the areas of coverage for aquatic plant detection, particularly for bodies of water of a certain size and depth. Lastly, the BioBase™ sonar transducer may only be used at a maximum speed of 7 miles/hour and typically works better at speeds closer to 3 miles/hour. Thus, the BioBase™ sonar transducer results in a very time-consuming technique for gathering data invasive aquatic species.
Consequently, there is a need for a more precise, reliable, and accurate way for detecting and mapping aquatic species, namely infestations of invasive aquatic plants.